Our findings provided the evidences that miR-132 and 223 are critical mediators in positive circuit for pathogenesis of IBD by negatively regulating FOXO3a to enhance the expression of inflammatory cytokines and can be a good therapeutic target for IBD treatment.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic substantially undermined medical education and healthcare systems. Owing to the pandemic in South Korea, most medical schools needed to be flexible when conducting online and offline classes, but the guidelines did not reflect the specificity of medical schools. This study described the impact of modified anatomy education schedules at the Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) on students’ academic performance and satisfaction. Methods Anatomy education in SNUCM is divided into three regional units (the upper and lower limbs, trunk, and head and neck). Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the schedule was mixed with simultaneous and rotating schedules. The authors conducted exceptions for online lectures, cadaver dissections, and written and practical examinations in three classes of approximately 50 students each. Furthermore, the authors assessed students’ performance using three sets of written and practical examinations, and students completed a questionnaire regarding modified anatomy laboratory schedules. Results Despite the pandemic events in Seoul and South Korea during the laboratory sessions, all sessions were completed without any confirmed COVID-19 cases among the students, faculty, and staff. Most of the scores on the written and practical examinations significantly decreased in 2020 compared to those in 2019. However, in the trunk session that used the virtual anatomy application, the score on the practical examination in 2020 was significantly higher than that in 2019. Over 70% (79 and 77 out of 105 respondents on the upper and lower limbs and trunk, respectively) and 53% (55/105) students reported that there were no significant difficulties in studying anatomy in a face-to-face laboratory. Conclusions In conclusion, an adequate education program for cadaver dissection should be developed and provided to overcome the pandemic restrictions. The study findings could serve as a reference for anatomy education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We studied the estrogenic activity and cellular effect of wild yam extract in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The extract increased the activity of the progesterone receptor and pS2 genes at the mRNA levels in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, although the effects were not as prominent as those of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)). Western blot analysis showed that the level of estrogen receptor alpha protein was down-regulated after treatment with E(2) or wild yam extract. Wild yam extract also inhibited proliferation of MCF-7 cells. These data indicate that wild yam extract acts as a weak phytoestrogen and protects against proliferation in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells.

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